Pencegahan Karoshi Melalui Pendekatan Kaizen Berbasis Work-Life Balance: Sebuah Tinjauan Literatur

Abstract

Japan's rapid post-World War II economic growth was driven by a high work ethos but concealed a dark side known as the Karoshi phenomenon, or death by overwork. This study aims to analyze the paradox within the Kaizen philosophy, which is often distorted into mere productivity pressure, and to evaluate the role of Work-Life Balance as a prevention strategy. The research method used is a literature review, synthesizing data from operational management and public health perspectives. The results indicate that a distorted meaning of Kaizen, which focuses solely on output efficiency while ignoring human recovery capacity, positively correlates with the risk of acute work fatigue. However, the implementation of Kaizen is proven to improve the quality of work life when integrated holistically with Work-Life Balance principles and organizational social support. It is concluded that preventing Karoshi requires more than just working hour regulations; it necessitates a reinterpretation of Kaizen as a smart work philosophy that balances productivity demands with workers' physical and mental well-being.